The present invention generally relates to the field of semiconductor manufacture, and particularly to a system and method for accessing semiconductor manufacturing data.
Semiconductor manufacturing is costly due to the expense of production materials and costs associated with maintaining a clean environment during manufacture. Defects within the semiconductor wafer are of particular importance. A defect which makes the semiconductor unusable results in a loss in production capability with a resultant increase in cost for the manufacturer and for the consumer.
In order to minimize wafer defects, and thus increase cost efficiency manufactures establish strict quality control guidelines. Quality control guidelines insure minimization of device failure due to wafer defects. A difficulty associated with semiconductor wafer production is determining the root cause of the problem affecting semiconductor performance. Establishing the cause of poor performance or perhaps failure of a semiconductor is problematic because the wafers undergo numerous processes which may cause the problem or failure.
Semiconductor manufacturing is further problematic because of the large number of engineer, technicians, and support personnel which are necessary to implement production. Personnel formed into groups are charged with detecting problems and ultimately resolving the difficulty while minimizing production delays and the number of defective chips. In order to increase productivity, employees must be able to recognize the problem and have sufficient information to rectify the situation.
Drawbacks to previous data management systems for semiconductor manufacturing include the failure to track data sufficiently, the inability to provide notification and difficulty in accessing data. Current semiconductor manufacturing data management systems often provide insufficient detail about manufacturing. For example, some data management systems solely provide wafer information. Wafer information fails to provide comprehensive information necessary for managing overall production. Further, the inability of current semiconductor manufacturing data management systems to notify personnel of problems including semiconductor failure may result in higher numbers of defective semiconductors and increased costs. Semiconductor manufacturing data management systems fail to provide an efficient interface with manufacturing data necessary to address problems. Drawbacks to current semiconductor manufacturing data management system make such systems impractical, leading to increased down-time and higher semiconductor failure rates.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an efficient semiconductor manufacturing data management system capable of tracking semiconductor characteristics manufacturing conditions while maintaining ease of interaction.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for providing efficient, comprehensive access to semiconductor manufacturing information. A comprehensive system for accessing semiconductor data and in particular wafer characteristics and manufacturing condition allows users responsible for various phases of semiconductor production to analyze defects; thus reducing overall number of non-conforming semiconductors and lower costs.
In a first aspect of the present invention a system for monitoring semiconductor defects includes at least one input device capable of determining semiconductor manufacturing data. Manufacturing data includes at least one semiconductor characteristic and at least one manufacturing condition. A network connects a data storage device to the input device and a plurality of remote devices.
In a second aspect of the present invention a management system for semiconductor manufacturing data includes a memory capable of storing a program of instructions. A processor capable of performing a program of instructions is communicatively coupled to the memory and a storage device capable of storing a database of manufacturing data. The program of instructions configures the processor to generate a map interface, a tool interface, an edit interface and a lot disposition tool suitable for correlating manufacturing data including semiconductor characteristics and manufacturing conditions in the event of a failure determination. The processor is capable of generating an electronic notification to a remote device over a network.
A method for tracking semiconductor manufacturing defects initially includes determining semiconductor defect during manufacturing. At least one manufacturing condition associated with the semiconductor defect is determined. A database of manufacturing data including semiconductor defects and at least one manufacturing condition in the event of semiconductor failure is accessed. Accessed manufacturing data is correlated to the semiconductor failure. Manufacturing data is provided over a network to a website. Additionally, a electronic notification may be sent to a remote user.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.